Market Uptake For Diesel-Electric Coaster

The 5,100dwt multi-purpose dry cargo carrier, dubbed the SALMO 5000 type, is to the account of Transtal Shipping, based in the north Netherlands at Spijk, near Delfzijl, and is scheduled to be delivered during the autumn of 2024.

As well as signifying a departure from conventional propulsion arrangements, a compelling feature of the newbuild is a highly competitive fuel consumption, which the builder claims will average less than 3t of marine gas oil (MGO) per day. In the commercially rigorous short-sea sector, such performance relative to the vessel’s load capacity bodes well for long-term viability.

Efficiency springs from the adoption of a modular power installation, using three 532bkW generator sets and two 600ekW electric propulsion motors, in combination with a tailored hull form.

On a length of 87.3m, a beam of 13.7m, and drawing 6.3m, the vessel has a single, box-like hold affording an underdeck cargo volume of 208,360ft³ (5,900m³), rendering a high stowage factor and versatility in carrying the gamut of dry cargo commodities and industrial goods. Containers can be lashed on deck.

With its modular, diesel-electric system, the SALMO solution has been prepared for the energy transition, to facilitate future adaptation to alternative fuels such as methanol or hydrogen, obviating the need to replace the electric propulsion system.

Transtal operates a fleet in the 3,500-5,000dwt range, traded throughout European coastal waters, from the Baltic to the Black Sea. Its order marks the start of what Thecla Bodewes plans as a new product line applying the in-house developed SALMO concept, and encompassing higher capacity variants of the 5,100dwt type up to 6,500dwt. Construction has been assigned to the Kampen yard, the former Peters Shipyards, located at the mouth of the river IJssel.

The design is said to rate at more than 35% below the EEDI Phase 3 level. The 5,100dwt version has a gross tonnage measurement of 2,999t, one of the ‘paragraphs’ for manning levels under the Dutch flag.

The SALMO series embodies experience gained from the LABRAX class of 7,200dwt multi-purpose cargo vessel newbuilds for Vertom Shipping incorporating diesel-electric power.